A new drinking trend in the US is causing uproar as it involves inhaling alcohol rather than drinking it.

This form of "smoking" booze involves pouring alcohol over dry ice and inhaling the resulting  fumes. The fad has been popularized by YouTube videos promoting the new way of consuming alcohol.

The trend emerged when Fox5 News interviewed a Texan man called Broderick Allen who credited inhaling alcohol rather than drinking it for his 80 pound weight loss.

In his own words he claimed that he could "have his cake and eat it".

Inhaling may prevent him piling on the pounds or damaging his liver.

But the technique is actually far more dangerous than drinking according to doctors and researchers.

Because the alcohol is not processed in the liver, it bypasses it and goes straight to the brain.

This causes drunkeness and intoxication at a much more rapid rate than drinking because the fumes contain a purer form of alcohol than the type that emerges from the liver.

And according to research can lead to prolonged substance abuse more readily than drinking as well as a greater risk of sudden death.

The temperature of the fumes is also a cause of concern with the lungs bearing the brunt of its negative effects.

At -78.5°C, the fumes can adversely damage the lungs because of the toxic effects.